Rivers lawmakers summon Shell over oil spill (Nothing will happen)

Posted by admin Headlines, Rivers, State News Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

The Rivers State House of Assembly has invited the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over the recent oil spill in Isioma community in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.

In a motion sponsored by the lawmaker representing the council, Okechukwu Nwaogu, Shell was accused of ‘threatening the lives of the people by causing economic starvation and environmental degradation.’ The lawmaker, in the bill, stated that since September 15, this year till date, since the oil spill occurred, Shell had done nothing to clean up the affected areas.

He maintained that the pollution had affected their ecosystem, destroying farmlands and aquatic lives with no good drinking water.
“The ecological system in the area has been greatly affected, their source of livelihood is all gone. The community’s only source of drinking water now contains dangerous, harmful chemicals as a result of crude oil spillage arising from licking pipelines owned by Shell.

Reacting to this, the lawmakers unanimously lambasted Shell for its failure in handling corporate social responsibility in the state. The lawmakers expressed disaffection over the harm Shell had caused its host communities.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, mandated the House Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to summon Shell and report to House within two weeks.

In another development, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Leyii Kwanee, had advised members of National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) not to engage in incessant travels in this yuletide season to avoid being involved in motor accidents.

Kwanee gave this advice when he visited two corps members serving in his constituency that were involved in a motor accident, at a non-governmental hospital, Doctors without Borders, Port Harcourt. Hon. Kwanee, who commiserated with the NYSC members, said they were dear to the nation and their parents and, therefore, should sit tight in their duty posts and travel where and when it was necessary, adding that constant exposure to the road could pose danger to their lives.

-Sunwp_posts